American journal of clinical pathology
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Due to the continued impact of coronovirus 2019 (COVID-19), residency programs were advised to offer virtual interviews in place of traditional in-person interviews for the 2021 match recruitment season. As a result, many pathology residency programs offered preinterview virtual open-house events to meet prospective applicants before the interview season. This article aims to understand applicants' perspective on those events during the residency recruitment season of 2020 to 2021. ⋯ This brief report demonstrates the generally positive impact of these events.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Mar 2021
Hospital-Based Donor Recruitment and Predonation Serologic Testing for COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma.
Serologic testing for antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in potential donors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) may not be performed until after blood donation. A hospital-based recruitment program for CCP may be an efficient way to identify potential donors prospectively. ⋯ A hospital-based CCP donor recruitment program can prospectively identify potential CCP donors. Variability in SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels has implications for the selection of CCP units for transfusion.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Feb 2021
Variable Performance in 6 Commercial SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Assays May Affect Convalescent Plasma and Seroprevalence Screening.
Serologic detection of prior severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is needed for definition of convalescent plasma donors, for confounding SARS-CoV-2 presentation, and for seroprevalence studies. Reliable serologic assays with independent validation are required. ⋯ SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibodies may be less reliably produced early in disease than spike protein antibodies. Assessment of convalescent plasma donors at more than 30 days from symptom onset and seroprevalence studies should use assays with defined sensitivity at time points of interest because not all assays detected antibodies reliably at more than 30 days.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Feb 2021
Observational StudySerum 25(OH)D Level on Hospital Admission Associated With COVID-19 Stage and Mortality.
Vitamin D deficiency was previously correlated with incidence and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We investigated the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level on admission and radiologic stage and outcome of COVID-19 pneumonia. ⋯ Low 25(OH)D levels on admission are associated with COVID-19 disease stage and mortality.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Feb 2021
Differences in Performance Characteristics Among Four High-Throughput Assays for the Detection of Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 Using a Common Set of Patient Samples.
Serologic testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has experienced a changing landscape of available assays coupled with uncertainty surrounding performance characteristics. Studies are needed to directly compare multiple commercially available assays. ⋯ Laboratories should be aware of the advantages and limitations of serology testing options for SARS-CoV-2. The specificity and sensitivity achieved by the Roche and Siemens assays would be acceptable for testing in lower-prevalence regions and have the potential of orthogonal testing advantages if used in combination.